Sash balance and lock.



No. 743,225. PATENTED NOV! s, 1903 w. BERRY.

SASH BALANCE AND LOCK.

APPLICATION, FILED JAN. 9. 190a.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 743,225. PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

W. BERRY. SASH BALANCE, AND LOCK.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 9, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w z: s L D M m M m m m m m NITED STATES Tlatented November 3, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

WASHINGTON BERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 743,225, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed January 9, 1903. Serial No, 138,380. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WASHINGTON BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sash Balances and Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of sashbalances in which the weight of the sash is balanced by a torsional spring put under strain when the sash is lowered and which when the sash is raised exerts its resilience upon a connected mechanism, and thus assists in raising the sash or balancing the same by holding it in suspension.

The object of my'invention is to improve upon my sash balances and locks described in Letters Patent dated March 15, 1892, No. 47 0,655, also my applications for patent filed February 19, 1891, Serial No. 382,045, and particularly refer to my application filed December 22, 1894, Serial No. 532,642. My device is shown in this last-mentioned application as a combined device placed in position in the casing approximately opposite the meeting-rails when the sashes are in a closed position, which balances, operates, and se-. curely locks both sashes simultaneously in any position in which they may be placed by means of a turn-knob within convenient reach on the window-casing. My present invention consists in adding to this device a tape or cord, preferably made of metal, which I wind around a drum, one end of the tape being attached to the drum journaled in the casing and the other to the sash, a sufficient length of tape being wound on the drum or flanged 50 the casing, either in the side casings or in the top casing of the window-frame, and in cases where space is a material factor in balancing windows will be especially useful, thus enabling the sashes to be hung when desired in place of or in addition to the rack-andpinion movement, thus making it practicable to hang window-sashes without using the space heretofore required in aweighted window and at the same time lock both sashes simultaneously in any position.

Ordinary spiral, torsional, or twisting springs may be used; but I prefer to use my spring-actuated pawl or dog (and I also exchange the positions of the cams and pivot in the pawl) for locking both spur pinionwheels,-which inturn lock both sashes. I have hereinafter described and shown it in the accompanying drawings as attached to both sashes, and shall now proceed to point out more particularly its construction and mode of operation in connection with those drawings.

Figure l is a front elevation of a windowframe, showing my device placed in the upper casing of the window-frame, with locking device in one side of the casing. Fig. 2 is a top view of the balancing device shown in Fig. l with portion of springs and tapes broken away. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is an isometrical view of the locking pawl or dog. Fig. 5 is a part of the cam or key for operating this pawl or dog by means of a turnknob on the window-casing. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a window-frame and two sashes,

both broken away, showing my invention in sashes, both broken away, showing the device in the top casing of the window-frame,

IOO

one spring only being used for each sash, with hinges on the casing for convenientlyopening and closing the casing.

In the drawings heretofore described the letters given therein refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

A represents the casings of a window-frame, B the upper sash, and O the lower sash, each constructed in the usual manner.

D represents the torsion-springs; E, the drums or flanged pulleys, upon which the tapes or cords are wound for hanging the sashes, showing the cog-flanges thereon, the cogs being used both for locking in order to hold the spring when wound and under strain in order to adjust the springs to the weight of the sashes and also in looking the sashes in any position, the lock being combined with a rack-and-pinion movement in order to accomplish this result, as shown in a locked position in Fig. 6.

The locking device for locking the sashes is arranged separately when the balancing device is journaled in the top casing.

F represents the duplicate tapes wound around each drum.

G represents the rotary shaft journaled in the bearings r 1-, which extend into the torsion-springs, one of their ends connecting with one of the interior ends of the spring. The other end of the same spring is held by and attached toa fixed rod or shaft extending axially into the spring and in line with the rotary shaft, and the other end of this rotary shaft connects with the beveled gear H,which gears with like beveled gear I, which is attached to or forms a part of the drum E, turning on the stationary shaft K, Fig. 3, which is held by the bearings L L. The drums are so arranged as to carry two tapes, one end of the tapes being fastened to the drum, and after being sufficiently wound around this drum to allow for the rise and fall of the window-sash the other ends are attached (guided by pulleys) to the sash, one on each side of the sash, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. This efiects the desired purpose when the device is journaled in the top casing of the window-frame, but operates in a diflferent, manner when journaled in the side casing of the window-frame, one device on each side of the window-frame being necessary, as fully shown in Fig. 6.

M, Fig. 4:, is the pivoted and slotted pawl or dog, being pivoted in its bearings 1) t, Figs. 2 and 3, which is thrown in and out of the teeth of the cogged and flanged edges of the drum by means of the cam or key shown in Fig. 5, which fits into the slot p, Fig. 4, through a slot c" in the bearings 11, Figs. 2 and 3, this cam being operated by a turn knob on the window-casing, which when turned locks and bolts by an eccentric movement the drums.

When the balancing device is journaled in the top casing of the window-frame, in order to lock both sashes I use a separate locking device in connection with two spur pinionwheels, with their respective racks on their adjacent sashes, as shown in Fig. 1. When the device is journaled in the side casings, the whole device is combined for locking the sashes, as shown in Fig. 6. The independent locking device of Fig. l is only used when the balanceisjournaled in the upper windowcasing, as shown in that figure, for the purpose of holding the springs when wound and under strain in order to adjust the springs to the weight of the sashes, after which the lock is released.

Having explained the difierent position and parts of my invention, I wili now more fully explain its operation. In Figs. 1 and 7 the device is shown in the top casing of a window-frame. Fig. 1 shows two drums actuated by four springs, two for each sash. Fig. 7 shows the device in the same casing, but on one side of the casing, the drums being actuated by two springs of greater length in lieu of the four springs of less length. I will explain here that my double returningspring patented March 15, 1892, can be constructed in such a manner as to exert its strain either to the right or to the left by twisting the wire from the right hand or from the left hand while constructing it, thus making right and left springs, so that by using the spring with the proper direction of strain I can apply the combined power of more than one spring in the same direction, so that the springs used in Fig. 1 exert their whole force in any desired direction. My invention is journaled in the top casing or side casing of a window-frame of ordinary construction occupying the open space generally found in window-frames of this class. I construct the molding of this casing so as to open with a hinge S, Figs. 1 and 7, in order to conveniently place and adjust the mechanism. The device being in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, I first wind up one drum for the top sash by means of a winding device consisting of a spur-wheel, the teeth of which are meshed and held in the teeth of the flanged drum, and said wheel being turned by a crank thus turns the drum and winds up the spring to a sufficient strength to balance the top sash. I now look the drum. The two tapes having been attached and wound around these drums, sufficient length of tape being allowed for the rise and fall of the sash, the other ends of the tapes are then attached one to one side of the upper sash and the other to the other side of the upper sash, running over a pulley or pulleys V, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. This sash being properly balanced, I place it in position and unlock the drum. The weight of the sash is counterbalanced by the strength of the spring. Thus when the drum is turned as above described the beveled gear I is afiected, which in turn affects the beveled gear H, keyed to the shaft G. This rotary shaft G is attached to one end of one.

spring, as shown in Fig. 7, or to a spring on each of its ends, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus IIO when the drum is wound the spring or springs are afiected through the gearing and shafts until sufficient torsion or twisting force from the spring is attained in order to balance the sash. The lower sash is balanced in the same manner by means of the other spring-actuated drums turning on the shaft K. The tapes are attached to each side of the sash, and it is then placed in position, the two sashes being now balanced or hung as in weighted windows. These sashes are locked in any position by means of the locking device heretofore described engaging with two spur pinion-wheels turning on the same shaft 12, Fig. 1, which gear in a rack 0, Fig. 1, embedded within their adjacent sashes, both sashes being locked by action of a turn-knob on the window-casing, which by an eccentric movement of the cam or key, Fig. 5, fitted into the slot 19 of the pivoted and slotted pawl br dog M, Fig. 4, looks and bolts both pinionwheels, which in turn locks both sashes.

Fig. 6 shows my invention in the side casings on a window-frame, these devices being wound in the same manner heretofore described, except that this is done before, but can be done after, the device is placed in position within the casing, the same being journaled on a removable board, which forms part of the stiling of a window-frame and fully described in my application, Serial No. 532,642, filed December 22, 1894.

The upper sash is balanced and placed in position first, the tapes being fixed to the bottom part of both upper and lower sashes, almost the entire part of the tape being wound on the drum when the upper sash is closed.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim as new-- 1. In combination, with the frame and its upper and lower sashes, a pair of drums journaled in the frame above the upper sash, a pair of bands for each sash wound side by side about the drums in opposite directions and extending laterally in opposite directions to the sashes, beveled gears on the outer sides of the drums, a pair of shafts extending at right angles to the axis of the drums, torsional springs connected with the shafts, toothed rims on the drums and a locking-pawl arranged to engage both toothed rims simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the frame, the upper and lower sashes, a pair of drums journaled in the frame above the upper sash, a pair of bands for each sash, each pair of said bands being wound side by side about one of the drums in opposite directions and extending in opposite directions to their respective sashes, torsional springs arranged at right angles to the axes of the drums bevel-gearing between the torsional springs and the drums and lockin g means for the pair of drums, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a pair of sashes, a

pair of drums arranged side by side in the window-casing and axially in line, a pair of parallel torsional springs, gearing between the said springs and their respective drums and bands connecting the drums with the sashes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WASHINGTON BERRY.

Witnesses:

F. H. DRURY, E. SHASBERGER. 

